- 3,770
- Manning, SC
NHRA Driver Scott Kalitta Killed In Qualifying For SuperNationals
- Thread starter RVDNuT374
- 19 comments
- 5,152 views
- 793
this is terrible. R.I.P.
- 26,911
- Houston, Texas, USA
- JMarine25
This is an absolutely terrible loss. My thoughts and prayers go out to all whom have known and loved him. I don't follow drag racing much, but I am familiar with the Kalitta name. At least he died doing what he loved- racing. Again, my thoughts and prayers for all who loved and known him.
- 8,018
- GTP_Royalton
From the replay of the crash, it appears there was very little runoff at the end of the drag strip. I remember John Force having a similiar crash but there was plenty of sand at the end of the strip which he hit at a high speed which flipped him several times and reduced his speed and energy safely.
It appears poor scott hit a concrete wall
The family needs to sue the living hell out of the track owners
It appears poor scott hit a concrete wall
The family needs to sue the living hell out of the track owners
mafia_boy
(Banned)
- 5,570
- GTP_Mafiaboy
A sad moment for the drag racing fraternity with two time NHRA Top Fuel champion and current Funny Car driver Scott Kalitta passing away from an accident in the final round of qualifying at Englishtown when the engine exploded, blowing the body apart and the car hit the barrier at nearly 300mph.
ESPN News Link To The Story.
There's also some links on Youtube for the accident but you can all find that for yourselves. 👍
Anyway, RIP Scotty Kalitta. 1962-2008.
ESPN News Link To The Story.
There's also some links on Youtube for the accident but you can all find that for yourselves. 👍
Anyway, RIP Scotty Kalitta. 1962-2008.
- 8,835
- Northamptonshire
- AlexGibbo27
With the risk of competing in motorsport, death will come to a few of it's drivers, it's inevitable. I've seen the crash and it's fair to say one of the two problems could have killed him, but the wall at the end of the track gave him no chance.
- 5,632
- Malaysia
- MuzaffarMusa
You missed the thread:
https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/showthread.php?t=108026
But yeah, very sad indeed.
https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/showthread.php?t=108026
But yeah, very sad indeed.
Joey D
Premium
- 47,622
- Lakes of the North, MI
- GTP_Joey
- GTP Joey
I just saw the accident on YouTube, the track is partially to blame on this for not having the proper run off for the car. Yes the giant fireball would have severely burned Scott but there would have been a chance he could have survived. Hitting a wall at 200 and some odd mile per hour doesn't really incite survivability. I hope this wakes up the drag racing community and shows them they need proper run offs with energy absorbing barriers.
It's a sad loss but on the same anyone who gets behind a wheel of a racecar should know the dangers he or she is getting in to.
It's a sad loss but on the same anyone who gets behind a wheel of a racecar should know the dangers he or she is getting in to.
- 10,620
- gtp_jimprower
heartbreaking, to say the least.
Nitro cars, I think, are among the most dangerous racing vehicles to drive, simply because you know the engine'll blow up, you just don't know when. Like a timed bomb without a readout.
Here's a prayer for the entire drag racing community.
Nitro cars, I think, are among the most dangerous racing vehicles to drive, simply because you know the engine'll blow up, you just don't know when. Like a timed bomb without a readout.
Here's a prayer for the entire drag racing community.
- 15,498
- UK
If the engine exploded, why didn't it slow down? I know it would coast for quite a long time. But surely if the engine has exploded, it can't still be driving the wheels?
Horrible loss, very familiar name in the NHRA. There are risks in Motorsport though, especially one which pushes the engine to the limit and uses such an explosive 'fuel'.
Having seen the video, I thought they needed bigger sand traps than that?
Horrible time for his young family.
- 512
Englishtown has a bad sand trap, if this was at any other track he would've survived.
He slowed down, but not that much, his parachutes were burned immediately after being deployed.
Englishtown is a fast,but nortorious track. There is a somewhat similar accident when a funny car named "Banzai" slamed into the wall at the '60 mark, collected speed (while riding the wall) and hit a wall at the end of the track. The driver survived though.
RIP Scott. He died what he loved doing.
He slowed down, but not that much, his parachutes were burned immediately after being deployed.
Englishtown is a fast,but nortorious track. There is a somewhat similar accident when a funny car named "Banzai" slamed into the wall at the '60 mark, collected speed (while riding the wall) and hit a wall at the end of the track. The driver survived though.
RIP Scott. He died what he loved doing.
- 3,212
The wheels are not being driven, exactly, though they still move.
That was a horrible crash to witness, and while Scott Kalitta died what he loved doing, it was still a rather horrifying end. Likely not for such an accomplished driver in the field, though; I'm sure he's seen a lot of accidents.
R.I.P. Scott.
P.S.: The 'Banzai' accident is surprisingly symbolic.
- 512
that's what I thought of when I saw this crash, That and phil's Burkhart's similar tumble when his parachutes didn't deploy.
- 26,911
- Houston, Texas, USA
- JMarine25
I agree about the "sue the living hell out of the track owners" comment. I think Doug Kalitta could have lived (or at least a few injuries) had it not been for that huge explosion at the end. It was a terrible crash. Let me compare this to another death I've seen on TV. Actually, two. I remember Greg Moore's crash in 1999 that took his life at California Superspeedway. It was on a caution lap, but the car just went out of control and violently hit the inside wall. Then there was Dale Earnhardt Sr.'s death in 2001. It didn't look serious, but it ended up having a fatal consequence. Part of Kalitta's crash was the parachutes not working. The other part was the design of the track. I've seen certain drag strips with sand or gravel traps at the very end. What was at the very end of this one was basically a tire wall and... basically, it's like a street course.
Part of it has to be on car design while another element is better track design. That is what I think.
Part of it has to be on car design while another element is better track design. That is what I think.
- 8,018
- GTP_Royalton
JohnBM01
There was a couple of Safety problems without California Speedway that killed Greg Moore. First off the infield coming off of turn 2 was grass. When he hit the grass his car just kept sliding until it hit a bump in the grass that flipped him over. He hit the wall in the worst possible way, upside down, around 200mph, and sideways.
Now California Motorspeedway has concreted that area of the track. Just like with Scott's crash, there is a very real possiblity he would have walked away or just got some injuries if the track was paved there like it is now and the inside wall had the safer barrier.
JohnBM01
I've looked at the crash again, it does appear the parachutes came out at some point, but they looked ripped and or burned.
I looked closer and there was sand runoff, but only about 20 feet of it.
I've heard the reason the track has no runoff room is because there is a road right behind the end of it.
As I've said earlier I remember John Force blowing up down a strip then sliding backwards at 150+mph all the way into the end of the track where he hit the large sandtrap that flipped him and burned off his speed and energy safetly.
I'm tired of these track designers taking risks everywhere because the odds of a weak point in there track causing problems is small.
There is alot of examples. A large portion of Pocono has no catch fence, even the straightaway where there are trees on just the otherside of the wall. The catch fence at alot of tracks is too short. Indy car tires can go flying but they run at Richmond with a short catch fence. Even at the last stock car race at New Hampshire a tire came 1 foot from clearing the catch fance and going into the stands. Every track needs large Michigan/Indy style catch fence. Michigan extended their catch fence after a tire killed 3 fans during a CART race. Lowes Motorspeedway had 3 fand die when an IRL tire cleared the catch fence but they have yet to change anything except get rid of Indy Cars.
Mot ovals still have fences in the walls where people can get onto the track easily but I've seen many cars hit these and get sliced in half.
There's more examples. Sad thing is most tracks don't address safety issues until its too late.
EDIT: I tried to view the video again but the NHRA is taking them down from youtube just in the last hour
- 512
I believe Englishtown should have any NHRA dates removed unto they fix that sand trap.
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